The Best I Ever Had
by Armygirl0604
Summary: Max's expiration date shows up. Flock dealing with it. Faxness involved.
1. The Date on Her Neck

**-The Best I Ever Had-**

DISCLAMER- I OWN NOTHING! I DON'T OWN THE SONG, THE STORY PEOPLE, OR ANY OF THAT STUFF! I'M NOT THAT AWESOME!

A/N: This is based on the song The Best I Ever Had by Gary Allen. Don't laugh Dad! I may be a total rock girl, but even you know I'm a sucker for cute country music!

**-CHAPTER 1-**

The morning was bright and sunny. Max opened her eyes and smiled, thinking, "Today will be a good day." If only she knew.

Fang came running when he heard Max shriek. The others did too, but she just called, "I'm okay. I saw a mouse. It surprised me, that's all, really." But as soon as the flock cleared away she opened the door to let Fang in. "Look." She was wrapped in a towel, which she let droop down her back. She moved her hair out of the way of her neck.

Fang's throat tightened. On Max's neck was a date. **5-23-09.**"Is that…?"

"Uh huh. Fang," tears welled in her eyes. "I'm not ready to die. I'm only fifteen!" The tears poured down her cheeks. Fang tucked her into his arms, wishing he could reassure her. "I'm not ready to die. What about the flock?"

"I'll take care of them." He tried the only words that might comfort her.

"Fang, what's today's date?"

Fang thought a moment and froze. He didn't want to tell her.

"Fang?"

"It's…it's the thirteenth of April."

"That's what I thought. We need to tell them."

"Yeah. We…I guess we do." He turned away so she could slide on her clothes.

"Fang, promise me something."

He turned to look at her. She was fully dressed and staring at him with wide eyes. "What is it?"

"You won't…let the flock go wild when…_it_...happens."

"I…I'll do my best." He wrapped an arm around her and led her into the main room of their hotel room. "Guys, gather."

The four flock members clustered on the bed in a row. Fang sat down in the arm chair and lifted Max into his lap. She rolled her eyes, but he whispered, "I'm not letting you go right now," and she softened.

"What's wrong?" Nudge jumped to the problem.

Max did the only thing she could. "This," she turned and lifted her hair. The flock gasped and Nudge and Angel started crying. Gazzy told Iggy what it was. "Yeah, it's my expiration date."


	2. Guitar Songs and Time

**-CHAPTER TWO-**

**DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING!**

The morning started bad, as if even the weather knew what was going to happen. Max's health had been deteriorating for some time, and was now so weak she could barley move or speak. But on that morning, she found she had her strength.

"Fang!" she whispered. She didn't want to wake the others. "Fang!"

He was awake instantly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, that's what. I can talk and stuff. I'm being quiet so we don't wake the kids."

"Oh. Are you serious?"

Max nodded. "One last fly?"

"You got it." He stood and helped her up, against her protests. They slid to the window and leapt out at the sky, expanding their wings and laughing. Her hair blew in the wind, revealing more print. "Wait. Max!" Fang flew closer to see it. Thick dark print. **5:07 p.m. ** "Oh no."

"What?"

"The time showed up."

After a pause, Max asked, "What time will it be?"

"Five-oh-seven at night."

"So I've got a few hours. That's…good."

Fang wrapped his arms around her and they hovered there, her crying and him trying not to. After a few minutes Max pushed away her tears and raced him to the cliffs in the distance. They sat on one and stared out at the ocean.

"Hey, look at that!" Fang dove down to pick something up from a lower cliff. He came back up with a guitar. "Some of the local college kids must have left it." He started strumming.

"Do you even know a full song?" Max rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…but not one I want to play."

"What is it?"

Fang looked away nervously and mumbled "Best I ever head." Then he turned back and said, "I know one other song. It's called I won't Stand Alone." He started playing it. He got a few chords wrong, but Max though it was beautiful. She smiled and leaned against his shoulder.

"The others will be waking up soon."

"Yeah."

They took off into the sky again, arriving just before Iggy woke up. The rest woke up like dominos fall after that. They were each surprised in turn to see Max sitting up and smiling.

All through the day, Max took time with each person in private to say her goodbyes. Iggy and Gazzy sat stone faced until near the end where they burst into tears. Nudge and Angel sobbed and sobbed as Max told them she loved them and was proud of them. When Fang went to talk to her they were both silent a moment.

"Fang…I need to say something."

"What is it?"

"I love you," she said it fast, before she could change her mind.

Fang stared wide eyed a moment, then leaned closer to her and pressed his lips gently against hers. She responded by kissing him back. Max leaned against Fang and cried.

"I don't want to die. I'm not ready to leave you."

Fang kissed her hair as he pulled her into his lap. "I'm not ready either, but it's going to happen, and we need to accept it." _Or at least, I have to pretend to until you're gone,_ he thought silently.


	3. Slipping Away

**-CHAPTER THREE-**

**DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING!**

Max was lying on the bed again. The blanket was pulled to the end of the bed; Max was lying under the sheet. It was four fifty seven, ten minutes left. She told the flock she loved them over and over.

At five-oh-two she began to feel drowsy. Fang kissed her again, in front of everyone. They didn't seem remotely surprised. Her eyelids began to droop when she had three minutes left. Fang took one of her hands, Angel took the other.

"I love you Maximum Ride," Fang said firmly.

"Love-you-too-," she sighed closed her eyes,

"Max?" Fang called in a panic.

"I'm still here." She opened her eyes.

"Max?" Angel said.

"Mm?"

"I'll miss you."

"Miss you too baby." She winced as she took a breath.

"This is horrible," Angel whimpered.

"S'not s-bad."

"It is though. I love you."

"Love-you-love all-you."

For her last moments she just filled her eyes with her family. Then her eyes slid closed and she sighed. Fang kissed her one last time. "Maximum Ride…you were unbelievable." He lifted her limp head into his lap and stroked her hair. He knew his love, the one and only Maximum Ride was gone forever, but he felt oddly at peace. She would go through no more suffering.

"Fang," Nudge croaked. "Look out the window."

Fang looked up and saw that the clouds were clearing away. As they spread, a rainbow formed. Then another rainbow, overlapping it. Then another; a triple rainbow. At last the clouds were gone, except one. The cloud was angel shaped, with wings spread out. It blew through the rainbows toward the window. When it got close enough to see, Fang bit his lip. The others began to cry.

The angel looked like Max.


	4. Max's Song

**-CHAPTER FOUR-**

**DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING! **

**FAX FOREVER!**

**(Fang's POV)**

(MAX'S FUNERAL)

We dug Max's grave ourselves. It was a bit lopsided, something Max would have laughed at. One by one we dropped flowers into it and said our last goodbyes. I watched the others sob their hearts out before my turn.

They each had lilies. I dropped in a single red rose. "Max…I don't have anything to say. Just, when we went out…when I found the guitar, you asked if I could even play. I told you I wasn't going to play the only song I could play well for you. But I will now. Because the reason I wouldn't was…it makes me think of you now. I love you." I picked the guitar up off of the ground and sat at the grave. "So you sailed away, into a gray skied morning…" Everyone started crying, even me.

We sat at the grave for hours after we filled it. When dusk fell and I finally stood from my place near it the wind blew softly, rustling the leaves. Odd, but they sounded a bit like the song. I had to get out of there.

With one last look, I whispered, "Goodbye Max," and was gone.


	5. Lyrics

DISCLAIMER-I OWN NOTHING!

THESE ARE THE LYRICS TO BOTH SONGS!

I Won't Stand Alone- Johnny Pacar (This song is just cute, and it's easy to play, so I included it.)

It's just another morning glory  
One more twisted sign of this wild ride  
Another chapter in the story  
But I can't hide the way I feel inside

(Chorus)  
'Cause I'm a stranger in a strange land  
And I'm a million miles from my home  
If I've gotta take my last stand  
I won't stand alone I won't stand alone  
I won't stand alone I won't stand alone  
I won't stand alone I won't stand alone '

(Repeat Chorus)

BEST I EVER HAD- GARY ALLEN- I really love this song and it made me think of this, so, yeah. ENJOY!

So you sailed away into a grey sky morning  
Now I'm here to stay, love can be so boring  
And nothing's quite the same now  
I just say your name now.

But it's not so bad  
You're only the best I ever had  
You don't want me back  
You're just the best I ever had.

So you stole my world, now I'm just a phony  
Remembering the girl leaves me down and loney  
Well send it in a letter  
Make yourself feel better.

But it's not so bad  
You're only the best I ever had  
You dont want me back  
You're just the best I ever had.

And it might take some time to patch me up inside  
but I cant take it so I, I run away and hide  
And I might find in time that you were always right  
You're always right.

So you sailed away into a grey sky morning  
Now, I'm here to stay, love can be so boring  
Was it what you wanted?  
Could it be I'm haunted?

But it's not so bad  
You're only the best I ever had  
You dont want me back  
You're just the best I ever had.

You're just the best I ever had


End file.
